An 81-year-old man is lucky to be alive after a California National Guard crew on Friday plucked him from rushing water near the Northern California town of Taylorsville.
Rodger McMurty was swept from his car into the fast-moving water around 2 p.m. Members of the the California National Guard, who were originally observing flooding concerns in the nearby town of Greenville, jumped into action when the call for help was signaled.
McMurty, who was trapped in violent water roughly six feet in depth, was clinging to a branch when rescue teams arrived. One of the California National Guardsmen was lowered down from a helicopter before he positioned McMurty in a harness and hoisted him to safety.
The quick-thinking action of the rescue team received high praise.
"I applaud the crew’s quick and decisive actions which resulted in the saving of a life," said Major General David Baldwin, the Adjutant General for the Cal Guard.
